1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to power distribution equipment and, more particularly, to a modular frame of a cabinet within which power distribution equipment can be disposed.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is known in the relevant art, power distribution equipment typically includes circuit breakers and other associated switchgear. In use, such equipment typically is mounted within a switchgear cabinet that is configured to physically accommodate the equipment and associated wiring. Such switchgear cabinets are additionally configured to provide a protective barrier between the switchgear within the cabinet and the technicians and other personnel working in the proximity of the exterior of the cabinet.
Previously known switchgear cabinets have typically been designed to be compatible with only a small number of different types of circuit breakers, with new switchgear cabinets needing to be designed for each new circuit breaker design. Each newly designed switchgear cabinet must undergo a rigorous safety testing regimen prior to production. The effort involved in the design and testing of each new cabinet configuration has been both costly and time consuming, thereby increasing the cost of each new line of circuit breakers as well as increasing the duration of the product development cycle. It is thus desired to provide an improved switchgear cabinet and, more particularly, a frame for a switchgear cabinet, that includes modular components which can be assembled and configured in different fashions to be compatible with different types of circuit breakers without requiring as much design or testing effort as previously known switchgear cabinetry.
In view of the foregoing, an improved frame for a switchgear cabinet includes a plurality of rails that are connected together with a plurality of connectors. The rails are generally of two different cross-sectional configurations, both of which are cooperable with a single type of connector to enable the rails and connectors to be configured into numerous different types of cabinet frames to which panels can be mounted to form switchgear cabinets. The rails and connectors are modular in nature and are specifically configured to be easily connected with one another. During assembly of the connectors and the rails, portions of a coating on the rails become ruptured, thereby electrically conductively connecting together the rails and the connectors.
Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved cabinet frame that is relatively less expensive to design and test than previously known cabinet frames.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved cabinet frame that is relatively easy to assemble.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved cabinet frame that is modular in nature.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an improved cabinet frame that generally includes a plurality of rails and a plurality of connectors, with the rails being generally of two different cross-sections.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a cabinet frame assembled out of a plurality of rails and connectors, with the rails each including a coating, and with the coating being ruptured at one or more points to provide an electrically conductive connection between each rail and each associated connector.
Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide a connector for connecting together a plurality of rails to form a portion of a cabinet frame, the general nature of which can be stated as including a post and a plurality of clasping members, each clasping member being structured to be associated with one of the rails and to fasteningly extend between the associated rail and the post, each clasping member including a clip and a fastener, the clip being structured to be engageable with the associated rail, the fastener extending between the clip and the post, the clip including three engagement elements, the three engagement elements each being structured to engage the associated rail to retain the associated rail on the post, wherein a portion of the clip that extends between at least a pair of the engagement elements is structured to be disposed at least partially adjacent an outward-facing surface of the associated rail, and the fastener being generally centrally disposed between the three engagement elements.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide a cabinet frame, the general nature of which can be stated as including a plurality of rails, each rail including an outward-facing surface, and a plurality of connectors, each connector including a post and a plurality of clasping members, each clasping member being associated with one of the rails and fasteningly extending between the associated rail and the post, each clasping member including a clip and a fastener, the clip being engaged with the associated rail, the fastener extending between the clip and the post, the clip including a first engagement element, a second engagement element, and a third engagement element that are each engaged with the associated rail to retain the associated rail on the post, wherein a portion of the clip that extends between at least a pair of the engagement elements is disposed at least partially adjacent the outward-facing surface of the associated rail, and the fastener being generally centrally disposed between the three engagement elements.
Still another aspect of the present invention is to provide a cabinet frame, the general nature of which can be stated as including a plurality of rails and a plurality of connectors, each rail including a first flange and a second flange oriented substantially parallel with one another and being separated from one another by an opening in the rail that extends substantially throughout the longitudinal extent of the rail, each rail including a cavity extending substantially throughout the longitudinal extent of the rail and being in communication with the exterior of the rail through the opening in the rail, each connector including a post and a plurality of clasping members, each clasping member being associated with one of the rails fasteningly extending between the associated rail and the post, and each clasping member including a clip and a fastener, the clip being engaged with the associated rail, the fastener extending between the clip and the post, the clip including a first engagement element, a second engagement element, and a third engagement element that are each engaged with the associated rail to retain the associated rail on the post, the first engagement element being engaged with the first flange, and the second engagement element being engaged with the second flange.